CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA (CVILLE RIGHT NOW) – Growing up in New Orleans, Atlanta and then Virginia Beach, Chaka Joiner never had police officers in any of his schools.
Now, as the school resource officer at Monticello High School, Joiner hopes his presence in the building helps students develop a trust and comfort with police officers that he thinks can be mutually beneficial.
“Unfortunately, a lot of people don’t meet with officers of their community until something bad has gone wrong,” Joiner told Cville Right Now. “As an SRO, it gives us the ability to build those relationships so that they can hopefully develop some kind of trust. Even if it’s with one officer, it’s someone in the uniform they feel they can go and talk to.”…